A Look Inside The Emerald Triangle

By Kim Pacilio

With medical marijuana legal in 16 states and counting, there is little doubt that legalized medical marijuana will soon become the norm all across the United States. And there is no better example in the entire United States of how successful and profitable medical marijuana can be then in a tiny area in Northwestern California known as the Emerald Triangle. Tucked away in beautiful Northern California, between the Pacific Coast and the Redwood forest, the Emerald Triangle has risen to prominence in recent years and has become infamous for having some of the highest quality medical marijuana in the world.

The Emerald Triangle consists of three notorious California counties Humboldt, Mendicino and Trinity. With a population of just 225,000 spread sparsely across this beautiful woody hills Northern California landscape, it is almost impossible to imagine that this small area of the country is one of the best areas to grow marijuana in the Northern Hemisphere. While there aren’t many plants that will flourish in this hilly, tucked away Northern California landscape, the cool winds and the fertile soil make it an ideal place for growing cannabis.

Since the middle of the 1960’s the infamous Emerald Triangle has become a ground zero of sorts for people looking to make a comfortable living in the cannabis growing industry. Even though growing marijuana is still illegal at the Federal level, California’s friendly medical marijuana laws enable citizens all over the Emerald Triangle to make a small fortune growing and selling marijuana. The Marijuana trade has even become so lucrative that in most areas in the Emerald Triangle one half to 2/3 of their entire economy is based off marijuana. With this kind of volume comes enormous profits, not to mention enormous scrutiny.

With over 1 billion dollars funneling into the Emerald Triangle every year, it is little wonder why the government has begun to take a second and third look at the impact of medical marijuana and the legalization of pot altogether. With the United States government in complete fiscal crisis, the $40 billion dollar a year marijuana industry could bring substantial revenue back to the government. Legalizing marijuana would not only bring substantial tax revenue back to the state, but the government would also save an additional $13 billion a year by simply not enforcing marijuana prohibition.

Taking out marijuana from the Emerald Triangle economy would be a devastating blow not only to the local residents who rely on the growing and selling of weed to support themselves, but also to the local and state governments who rely heavily on their tax revenue. And with new medical marijuana dispensary’s popping up all across California every day, the medical cannabis industry has become a large and integral part in California’s diverse economy.

While many Emerald Triangle citizens walk a fine line between growing marijuana legally and triggering a legal crackdown from the federal government and DEA, many Emerald Triangle growers are undeterred. In an area still reeling from the decades long decline of the timber and manufacturing industries, marijuana has become a mainstay in the Northern California economy and a lifesaver for many Emerald Triangle residents.

​ Pacific Northwest favorite Evergreen College, long known as a countercultural haven, just missed the Top 11, coming in at number 11.

The Princeton Review , which a college test prep company with no connection to Princeton University, released the Top 20 standings to garner publicity for its annual guidebook, The Best 376 Colleges: 2012 Edition, which went on sale Monday.

As for the Bottom 20 Colleges when it comes to marijuana use, it’s no surprise that schools associated with the U.S. military show up near the top of the list, along with places like Mormon stronghold Brigham Young University in Utah and the Catholic school Thomas Aquinas College in California.

In a section of the report entitled ‘Medical Marijuana,’ the administration states, “In the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has approved 109 researchers to perform bona fide research with marijuana, marijuana extracts, and marijuana derivatives such as cannabidiol and cannabinol.” However, it later clarifies that of these 109 scientists, only fourteen “are approved to conduct research with smoked marijuana on human subjects.”

Among those scientists licensed to work with either cannabis or its constituents — primarily in animal models — most are involved in research to assess the drug’s “abuse potential, physical/psychological effects, [and] adverse effects,” the report stated.

In 2010, a spokesperson for the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) — the federal agency that must approve any US clinical trial involving marijuana – told the New York Times: “[O]ur focus is primarily on the negative consequences of marijuana use. We generally do not fund research focused on the potential beneficial medical effects of marijuana.”

Earlier this month, DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart denied a nine-year-old petition seeking to initiate hearings regarding the federal classification of cannabis as a schedule I substance, stating in part, “[T]here are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy.”

Commenting on the report, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Only in an environment of absolute criminal prohibition would this or any administration purport to the public that it is acceptable to allow no more than fourteen researchers to clinically study a substance consumed by tens of millions of Americans for therapeutic or recreational purposes. This acknowledgement illustrates once again the administration’s supposed commitment to ‘scientific integrity’ does not apply to cannabis.”

Marijuana lollipops for sale on Lakers parade route

In addition to the sales of Lakers paraphernalia and water, some surprising entrepreneurs took to the parade route to sell their wares.

Among them was a mobile truck, Weed World Candies.com, selling marijuana lollipops in hues of orange and blue. (The truck itself is green with a photo mural of young women in bikinis sorting marijuana leaves.)

The assortment included brands of marijuana such as OG Kush and Grand Daddy Perp. The truck’s owner, Bilal Muhammad, said he was recently forced to shut down his store in West Hollywood and had taken his business on the road.

Customers approaching his truck were asked if they had a prescription card allowing them to purchase marijuana and then were handed a free lollipop.

“It’s been working out very well,” he said of business before driving away as police became visible in the distance.

What’s good homies, this story is coming from my favorite, and maybe your favorite maker of rolling papers. The company that produces Zig Zag rolling papers are sueing D.C. over they’re unconstitutional ban over rolling papers in D.C. Full story here.

Now, they aren’t exactly fighting for our right to party. Although most of the consumers that purchase rolling papers only use them to smoke weed (which is why they are banned) The National Tobacco Company is fighting for just what they stand for, tobacco. They say that this ban has caused “direct injury” to the company.

When the city’s lawmakers passed this ban, which wasn’t enforced, they said the only purpose of these products where for illegal drug use. Lawmakers said they were concerned teens were using these to smoke marijuana. Damn straight they are.

Since National Tobacco only wants papers to be legal so people can smoke tobacco and get cancer, it’s hard to root for them to be victorious. But just because many companies are motivated by greed doesn’t make D.C.’s paper ban right.

“Since National Tobacco only wants papers to be legal so people can smoke tobacco and get cancer, it’s hard to root for them to be victorious. But just because many companies are motivated by greed doesn’t make D.C.’s paper ban right.”

To be honest with you all, I believe it is total bullshit that they “attempted” to ban papers in that area. Even further I think its stupid that other cities are following this. Hopefully soon this ban can be lifted, amongst other laws, and we can all puff in peace. Until then, stay up greenies.

Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg Starring in Stoner Movie “High School”

This is an interview of Wiz Khalifa from Rolling Stone Magazine. Khalifa is going to be starring in a new Stoner Movie with Snoop Dogg, and the two have also put together a soundtrack packed with collaborations.Wiz Khalifa says the movie is about having fun, getting high and enlightening their audience by “laying some game” on them.

I don’t think I need to say how awesome this movie is going to be, but I will. Wiz Khalifa is the new king of stoner entertainers, and Snoop Dogg is the one passing him the crown. The two together is the stuff of cannabis entertainment legend. Ever since Kid Cudi gave up pot, there’s been a whole in my heart, this movie and soundtrack just about fills it up.

In this interview shot backstage at SXSW, rapper Wiz Khalifa talks to Rolling Stone about High School, the stoner comedy he’s making with Snoop Dogg, and the movie’s soundtrack, which will be a full-album collaboration between the two rappers. “It’s about pot, of course,” the rapper says. “But it’s also a spin-off of us being cool in the industry, and smoking a lot of weed.”